THREAT Is Back This Week

The Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida marked the 34th mass shooting incident of 2018, less than two months into the year. While this type of event is no longer new, the frequency with which they occur and the severity of weaponry involved continues to evolve...and producer Bree Pavey says the time to talk about it, in all arenas, is now.

Pavey is producing Louis Felder's poignant thriller Threat March 29-May 4 at The Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. Directed by theatre and TV pro Asaad Kelada, Threat is a story of a psychotherapist who tries to control a bipolar, brilliant and dangerous maniac in order to save innocent lives but finally is forced to a make a bold choice between honoring her oath and protecting others. It asks the question of whether a psychotherapist treating a troubled student could have prevented the carnage we've seen time and time again at schools across America. Full of suspense and catharsis, Threat is a tense exploration of narcissism, risk and self-realization.

"Gun debates rage, but nothing changes," Pavey said. "Yet both sides of the gun debate seem to agree that mental health services are woefully lacking. What I find intriguing and timely about this particular script, is that it raises the question of whether there are some patients who simply cannot be treated effectively, and whether violence begets violence, even when the intention is honorable."

Threat is being performed on a near bare stage, but with striking projections and sound design by award-winning designer Matthew Richter. The look and feel of the show add to the heightened tension that comes with such a delicate and relevant subject matter.

"Threat deals with subjects that are on everyone's mind today," Kelada said. "Is anyone safe anymore? Where will the next threat come from? What is the collateral damage that is sustained after an act of carnage is perpetrated?"

Kelada was a long-time TV director, having directed episodes Rhoda, Benson, WKRP in Cincinnati, The Facts of Life, Family Ties and Who's the Boss?, before returning to his first love, the theatre. Felder is a long-time actor as well as a published playwright and author of the novel Rocky Libido in San Francisco. Tackling the three challenging roles are actors Mason Conrad, John Posey and Pagan Urich.

"Audiences can expect an intelligent and suspenseful psychological thriller with Threat," Pavey said. "The central figure, Margaret, is strong, focused, confident and faced with resolving a tragic situation that unfolds through a confidential session. The audience can expect to be uncomfortable, and perhaps uncertain about whether they know who is the real villain."